The present invention is an improved padlock having an improved shackle retainer assembly which greatly eases the replacement of a shackle in a lock. The present invention also is an improved padlock which can be easily converted from a key retaining lock to a key nonretaining lock and vice versa.
Padlocks can have shackles of lengths from xc2xd-inch up to and including 6 inches. Padlocks with even longer shackles, up to almost 20 inches have been prepared. For the lower grades of locks, the locks made with the shackle permanently secured to the lock body it is not possible to change shackles. This requires the locksmith, or store, or manufacturer to carry a large inventory of locks having different shackles. More expensive locks have replacement shackles which normally require at least removal of the locking assembly from the lock to change the shackle. Some locks require removal of a pin from the back of the body to change a shackle.
Some locks are normally made either to retain the key in the lock when the lock is unlocked or open or to permit the key to be removed when the lock is unopened or locked state. Expensive locks can be converted from key retaining to key nonretaining by replacing either the key cylinder assembly or the key cylinder plug, or for some locks, replacing an adapter positioned between the key cylinder assembly and the lock ball retainer.
The present invention provides a cylinder plug which permits the lock to be made key retaining by the insertion of a pin at the driver end of the cylinder plug, or made non-key retaining, i.e. key nonretaining, by removal of a pin from the driver end of the cylinder plug. By key retaining, it is meant that the lock retains the key in the cylinder assembly when the lock is in the unlocked state. By key nonretaining, i.e. non-key retaining, it is meant that the key can be removed from the lock in the unlocked state. By the unlocked state, it is meant that both arms of the shackle are not secured within the lock body by the locking mechanism.
The improved padlock of the present invention has a lock body with first and second shackle bores open to the top of the lock and extending toward the bottom of the body, a lock assembly chamber open to the bottom of the lock body and extending upwardly toward the top of the lock body, a lock ball bore extending from the top portion of the first shackle bore through the top of the lock assembly chamber into the top portion of the second shackle bore, and an access hole extending from the bottom of the lock body into the bottom of the second shackle bore; a generally U-shaped shackle having first and second arms, the first arm adapted to be slidably moved in and out of the first shackle bore and to be lockably engaged in the first shackle bore, the second arm slidably and rotably secured in the second shackle bore and adapted to be lockably engaged in the second shackle bore, the second arm having a threaded bore opening to its end, the first and second arms having notches facing each other to receive lock balls to lockably secure the shackle in the lock body, a torus-shaped retainer adapted to slide and rotate within the second shackle bore, a threaded retaining member having a recessed driver receiver hole in its head securing the retainer into the base of the second arm, the threaded retaining member adapted to be secured and removed from the end of the second arm of the shackle by a driver inserted through the access hole into the recessed driver receiver hole and threaded into or out of the threaded bore in the second arm, first and second lock balls adapted to slide in the lock ball bore to engage the notches in the first and second arms to lock the shackle in the lock body, a lock ball retainer at the top of the lock assembly chamber adapted to rotate therein, the lock ball retainer having a driven end, first and second notches to receive the first and second lock balls, respectively, to unlock the shackle from the lock body, and two lock ball races running between the first and second notches adapted to rollingly engage the lock balls and to push the lock balls into the notches of the first and second arms to lock the shackle in the lock body; a key cylinder assembly having a key cylinder housing and a key cylinder plug, the plug having a key insert end and opposing driver end, the driver end engaging the driven end of the lock ball retainer, the key cylinder plug, when rotated, rotating the lock ball retainer from a locked position to an unlocked position.
The improved padlock of the present invention has a lock body with first and second shackle bores open to the top of the lock body and extending toward the bottom of the body, a lock assembly chamber open to the bottom of the lock body and extending upwardly toward the top of the lock body, a lock ball bore extending from the top portion of the first shackle bore through the top of the lock assembly chamber into the top portion of the second shackle bore, and an access hole extending from the bottom of the lock body into the bottom of the second shackle bore; a generally U-shaped shackle having first and second arms, the first arm adapted to be slidably moved in and out of the first shackle bore and to be lockably engaged in the first shackle bore, the second arm slidably and rotably secured in the second shackle bore and adapted to be lockably engaged in the second shackle bore, the first and second arms having notches facing each other to receive lock balls to lockably secure the shackle in the lock body, first and second lock balls adapted to slide in the lock ball bore to engage the notches in the first and second arms to lock the shackle in the lock body, a lock ball retainer at the top of the lock assembly chamber adapted to rotate therein, the lock ball retainer having a driven end, first and second notches to receive the first and second lock balls, respectively, to unlock the shackle from the lock body, and two lock ball races running between the first and second notches adapted to rollingly engage the lock balls and to push the lock balls into the notches of the first and second arms to lock the shackle in the lock body; a key cylinder assembly having a key cylinder housing and a key cylinder plug, the key cylinder plug having a key insert end and an opposing driver end, the driver end engaging the driven end of the lock ball retainer, the cylinder plug when rotated rotating the lock ball retainer from a locked position to an unlocked position.
In another embodiment, the key cylinder assembly comprising a cylinder body and a cylinder plug which is mounted for rotation within the cylinder body, the cylinder plug having a key entry end to receive a bitted or cut key to rotate the cylinder plug and a driver end having a driver half-round in cross section with a straight driver face; a lock ball retainer mounted for rotation at the top of the lock assembly chamber, the lock ball retainer having two diametrically opposed notches on it cylindrical side and two lock ball races on its cylindrical side connecting the notches, the lock balls adapted the position within the notches when the lock is unlocked and the two balls adapted to rotate on the lock ball races when the lock is in a locked state, the lock ball retainer having on its driven end a quarter-round drive pedestal or step with two perpendicular drive surfaces, the driver surface of the cylinder plug adapted to engage the first drive surface of the lock ball retainer when the cylinder plug is rotated to unlock the lock and to align the notches; a retainer spring connected to the lock ball retainer to bias the retainer from an unlocked state to a locked state. In the unlocked state, the lock balls are free to roll into the lock ball retainer notches freeing the notches on the first and second shackle arm, unlocking the shackle and permitting the shackle to be elevated up from the lock body with the first arm clearing the lock body and the second arm being retained in the lock body for sliding up and down and rotation, the second arm urging the second lock ball into the second notch of the lock ball retainer until the shackle is inserted back into the lock body in a locked position permitting the lock ball to be received within the notch on the second arm, retention of the lock ball in the second notch of the lock ball retainer by the second arm preventing the retainer from rotating back to its locked position, but the key cylinder plug can freely rotate back to key insertion position to permit removal of the key. The driver end of the key cylinder plug having a hole spaced apart from the driver, a pin which can be seated in the hole. The pin adapted to engage the lock ball retainer step when the lock is in the unlocked state preventing a rotation of the cylinder plug back to the key insertion position, thus preventing removal of a key from the key cylinder plug when the lock is in unlocked condition. When the shackle is pushed into the lock body and the lock balls engage the notches in the two arms of the shackle, the lock ball retainer turns to its lock position with the lock balls engaging the lock ball races and the step driving the driver to rotate key lock plug to this key insertion position.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the driver end of the cylinder plug has a pin hole positioned away from the flat surface in the driver end; a pin removably seated in the pin hole, the pin engaging the step of the lock ball retainer which prevents rotation of the cylinder plug to its locked position or key insertion position when a rotating force is removed from the key in the cylinder plug slot to return the plug to its locked position so that the key may be removed.
The present invention is directed to a removable shackle for a padlock with a locking assembly, the shackle having a U-shape with parallel first and second arms, the second arm being longer than the first arm, the second arm having an end and being circular in cross section with a first diameter and having a longitudinal axis extending the length thereof, each arm toward its end having a notch adapted to cooperate with the locking assembly of the padlock for locking the shackle in the padlock, the second arm having a flat area extending between the notch and the end of the arm and a semicircular groove at the end of the arm extending from one side of the flat area to the other side of the flat area around the circumference of the arm; and a circular retainer of the first diameter detachably secured coaxially with the second arm at the end of the second arm.
The retainer can have a spring keeper extending axially downward from the retainer. Preferably the end of the second arm has a threaded hole, the retainer has a nonthreaded hole, and the retainer is detachably secured to the end of the second arm with a threaded screw passing through the nonthreaded hole of the retainer and received by the threaded hole in the second arm. The threaded screw can have a head with a socket to receive a driver to rotate the screw. The retainer can have a spring keeper extending axially downward from the retainer. The bottom of the spring keeper can have a recess adapted to receive the head of the threaded screw. The threaded screw can be sized to act as a spring keeper.
The present invention is also directed to an improved padlock with a removable shackle retainer assembly comprising: a lock body with first and second bores extending inwardly from the top of the body; a central cavity open to the bottom of the body and in communication with the first and second bores; a hole open to the bottom of the body and in communication with the second bore, the hole adapted to receive a socket driver; a shackle having a U-shape with first and second parallel arms, the first arm adapted to be received in and lockable in the first bore, the second arm adapted to be received in, lockable in, slidable in and out of, and rotatable in the second bore; a locking assembly in the central cavity adapted to lock the first and second arms in the bores; and a key cylinder assembly attachably connected to the locking assembly and adapted to actuate the locking assembly to lock the lock and to unlock the lock.
The padlock can include a compression spring positioned at the bottom of the second bore beneath the end of the second arm. The retainer can have a spring keeper extending downward adapted to engage the upper end of the spring.
The retainer is attached to the end of the second arm by a threaded screw. In this embodiment, the end of the second arm preferably has a threaded hole, the retainer has a nonthreaded hole, and the shackle includes a threaded screw adapted to be screwed in the threaded hole to secure the retainer to the end of the second arm. Preferably the threaded screw has a head with a socket to receive a driver to rotate the screw. The preferred socket is an Allen head socket. However other sockets, such as square drive sockets can be used. Sockets that receive the driver head and align the driver with threaded screw are preferred. If the retainer has a spring keeper, the spring keeper can have a coaxial recess to receive the head of the threaded screw. The threaded screw can be sized to act as a spring keeper.
Another embodiment of the present invention is an improved key cylinder assembly for padlocks comprising:
a key cylinder body having a bible, a key end and opposing driver end, and a cylindrical central cavity extending from the key end to the driver end of the key cylindrical body, the bible having channels with pins and springs, the channels in communication with the cylindrical central cavity; and a key cylinder plug having a key end and an opposing driver end and a circular surface, the key cylindrical plug adapted to be received in and rotated in the cylindrical central cavity, the key cylinder plug having a key slot extending from the key end to the driver end and dividing the key cylinder plug into first and second hemispheres, the key cylinder plug having channels with pins, the channels of the cylindrical plug being coaxial with the channels of the key cylinder body when the channels of the plug and the body are aligned, the channels of the plug communicating with the key slot, the key slot adapting to receive a bitted key which is adapted to align the ends of the pins in the channels with the circular surface of the plug to permit rotation of the plug in the cylindrical central cavity of the body, the driver end of the plug having a half-round driver extending axially outward from the driver end of the first hemisphere and a pin hole extending axially inward in the driver end of the second hemisphere. The key cylinder body can have a pin detachably received in the pin hole. Thus the pin 110 can be inserted into the pin hole 112 or removed from the hole.
Another embodiment of the present invention is an improved padlock comprising: a lock body with a first and second bores extending inwardly from the top of the body; a cavity open to the bottom of the body and in communication with the first and second bores; a shackle having a U-shape with first and second parallel arms, the first arm adapted to be received in and lockable in the first bore, the second arm adapted to be received in, lockable in, slidable in and out of, and rotatable in the second bore; a locking assembly within the central cavity for locking the first and second arms in the first and second bores; and a key cylinder assembly detachably connected to the locking assembly and adapted to actuate the locking assembly to an unlocked state to unlock the first and second arms in the first and second bores, the key cylinder assembly having a body having a key end and driver end; a bible with pins, and springs in channels; and a cylindrical central cavity extending from the key end to the driver end of the body, the bible channels in communication with the cylindrical central cavity, a key cylinder plug having a key end and a opposing driver end and a circular surface, the cylinder plug adapted to be received in and rotate in the cylindrical central cavity, the key cylindrical plug having a key slot extending from the key end to the driver end and dividing the key cylinder plug into first and second hemispheres, the key cylinder plug having channels with pins, the channels in the plug and in the body being coaxial when the channels are aligned, the key slot adapted to receive a bitted key to align the ends of pins in the channels in the plug with the circular surface of the plug to permit rotation of the plug in the cylindrical central cavity of the body, the driver end of the plug having a half-round driver extending axially outward from the driver end of the first hemisphere and a pin hole extending axially inward in the driver end of the second hemisphere. The key cylinder plug can have a pin removably secured or detachably received in the pin hole.